UALR’s lecture series, Evenings with History, will offer six presentations for 2012-2013. The first lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 2, will be given by Dr. Clea Bunch on the Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein meeting in December 1983.

The six lectures are sponsored by the University History Institute.

They will be held in the Ottenheimer Auditorium in the Historic Arkansas Museum 200 E. Third St. on the first Tuesdays of every month between October and April with the exception of November. The lecture in November will be held on the second Tuesday.

Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m.; the talks begin at 7:30 p.m.

“Disease, disaster, and disruption are the cheery themes that run through the presentations in the Speaker Series this year as the series celebrates its 25 year anniversary,” said Dr. John Kirk, chair of the history department. “Talks range from the Black Death to the Mayan apocalypse and take in U.S. – Middle East relations and the Holocaust along the way.”

The lectures explore history as UALR faculty share their current research to better explain current affairs. The structure of these talks allows for audience involvement through questions and discussion. The nationally-recognized series is aimed at a general audience and offers the audience insight into the workings of historical scholarship.

Full list of lectures on the agenda this year include:

• Dr. Clea Bunch, “The Rumsfeld-Hussein Meeting, December 1983—A Nuanced View of American Policy” Tuesday, Oct. 2
• Professor Laura Smoller, “The Black Death: Not Dead Yet!” Tuesday, Nov. 13
• Associate Professor Kristin Mann, “The Maya: History, Culture, and Myth” Tuesday, Dec. 4
• Professor Thomas Kaiser, “What Did They Know and When Did They Know it? Holocaust Awareness during World War II” Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2013
• Assistant Professor Jess Porter, “Death, Destruction, and … Geography?” Tuesday, March 5, 2013
• Assistant Professor Frances Ross, “Logan Holt Roots: Illinois Native, Arkansas Politician and Businessman,” Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Individual subscriptions to the series are available at $50 annually. The fee covers admission for all six lectures. Joint subscriptions for friends and couples are available at $90 annually, offering a savings of $10.

Fellow subscriptions are available at $250 and include the benefits of an individual subscription as well as invitations to special presentations that are exclusive to Fellows, often including a private evening with a noted author. Corporate sponsorships are available for a minimum $250 contribution.

The University History Institute uses all proceeds from the Evenings with History series to encourage research at UALR. Institute grants, funded by the series, have made major purchases of research materials in recent years. Subscriptions and donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

For more information about the institute or the the lecture series, call 501-569-3235.